Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakewood, WA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakewood, WA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,491 in Lakewood, WA versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,755 in Lakewood, WA versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,020 in Lakewood, WA versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Lakewood, WA is roughly 97% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lakewood, WA is 85% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 $22.69

$4.56 ฿149

397.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$46.63 ฿1,519

156.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 $12.73

$8.47 ฿276

50.30%

Cappuccino

$5.97 $5.97

$3.03 ฿98.6

97.03%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$0.69 ฿22.45

607.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.37 ฿11.92

554.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 $9.06

$2.49 ฿81.0

263.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$3.66 ฿119

222.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.18 ฿71.0

-51.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.90 ฿62.0

-32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.20 ฿71.6

30.00%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$2.22 ฿72.4

129.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 $10.92

$19.99 ฿651

-45.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$3.66 ฿119

313.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 $15.64

$13.25 ฿432

18.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$3.23 ฿105

61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.70 ฿55.3

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.39 ฿78.0

20.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.08 ฿67.7

70.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.59 ฿51.8

26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.48 ฿48.31

30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.03 ฿33.54

139.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.52 ฿16.83

480.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.44 $9.44

$4.25 ฿138

122.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$18.79 ฿612

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.76 ฿57.2

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.76 ฿89.8

19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.36 ฿44.32

42.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.14 ฿102

-19.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.04 ฿33.74

54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.65 $28.65

$13.77 ฿448

108.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.34 ฿43.79

-14.18%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.1K $23.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-16.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.5K $20.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-39.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$86.4 $86.4

$124 ฿4,025

-30.09%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$52.0 $52.0

$13.52 ฿440

284.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$18.69 ฿609

193.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 $43.18

$61.8 ฿2,013

-30.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 $13.31

$9.14 ฿298

45.62%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$703 ฿22.9K

201.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K $29.7K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

87.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.80 $26.80

$59.5 ฿1,937

-54.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.85 $37.85

$35.07 ฿1,142

7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$115 ฿3,754

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 $74.3

$84.1 ฿2,737

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$619 ฿20.1K

158.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$433 ฿14.1K

217.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$2,062 ฿67.2K

16.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,511 ฿49.2K

49.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,569 $2,569

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 $2,396

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-8.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

5.33

24.02%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lakewood, WA: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Lakewood, WA and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $120 in Lakewood, WA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lakewood, WA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lakewood, WA and Phuket differ by about 97% in total monthly costs ($2,491 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,736 in Lakewood, WA and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,599 in Lakewood, WA versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lakewood, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,491 per month in Lakewood, WA versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,491 in Lakewood, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lakewood, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lakewood, WA and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Lakewood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.